129 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
Then what will happen from now on?
What about The Duke's eyes?
As I thought before, what if Mandelesong is not an herb that heals his eyes?
What if the key ingredient was what the female lead mixed with Mandelesong?
Marin bit her lip tightly and turned her gaze to The Duke, and saw The Duke getting up and approaching her.
"Marin, what's wrong?"
He knelt down on one knee in front of her and lowered his body.
Marin burst into tears at his worried face.
"What do I do, what do I do? Because of me..."
Marin sat down on the floor and shed tears.
The butterfly effect.
The silver mine was originally scheduled to be abandoned. So Cave Monsters no longer appear there.
This meant that even if the female lead went there, there would be no danger.
But because of her choice, the silver mine was not abandoned. And the female lead went there and suffered a terrible accident.
In the original story, the female lead goes there around the middle of the novel, but the timing didn't matter because the mine wasn't abandoned and more people were coming in.
What on earth have I done?
Her whole body trembled as if she had a chill.
The Duke raised her up as if to comfort her.
Marin leaned on The Duke and put strength into her trembling legs.
Leia was looking at Marin with a pitiful expression.
"You must have been very close to Modriana."
"......"
Marin couldn't bear to fabricate a relationship with the deceased, so she bit her lip and lowered her gaze.
"Olive."
When The Duke called Olive, the quick-witted Olive approached Leia.
"Let's start the treatment tomorrow."
"Yes. I will."
Leia looked at Marin worriedly and then went outside, following Olive's guidance.
"Marin."
The Duke's low voice calling her felt more cautious than ever.
Marin slowly raised her head and looked up at The Duke. And without realizing it, she reached out and gently stroked his eyes.
I want to heal this person's eyes. Really, I wish this person could see.
The Duke silently let her do as she pleased.
The female lead died, but she was more worried about this person's eyes.
Is love so selfish?
"......Lord Gerald."
"Yes."
"I will definitely heal you."
The Duke's face hardened for a moment, but Marin just felt sorry for him, who couldn't see.
"You seem to be shocked, so let's go back to your room for now."
Marin leaned on The Duke and headed to her room.
Elmis, who was standing in front of the door, was surprised to see Marin's face full of traces of tears.
Marin greeted The Duke weakly and went into the room.
"El."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Marin seems a little surprised."
"I will take good care of her."
Gerald watched her closed door for a long time before slowly turning around.
I didn't know Marin had a herbalist friend.
So she knew about the effects of Mandelesong.
But why did she mourn the death of her friend and then say that she would definitely heal my eyes? Did she think that her trusted friend had died and she had to heal me instead?
He felt like his heart was being torn apart as he watched her sob. She looked endlessly fragile, like a wounded baby bird.
So even when she said she would heal his eyes, he couldn't refuse as usual.
Ha. What on earth should I do?
He was afraid that she would leave if he said he could see, but he was even more afraid of seeing her sad like today.
\ \ \
Marin, who had entered the room, sat in front of her grandmother's antique dressing table.
It had been a while since she sat in front of this dressing table, as she had been using the large dressing table in the room for a while.
She felt Elmis carefully approaching and standing next to her.
"Elmis. I want to be alone for a moment."
Marin raised her head and tried to smile.
"......Yes. I understand."
Elmis hesitated for a moment and quietly closed the door and left. He was probably guarding the door.
Marin opened the dressing table drawer in the room where she was left alone.
She put her hand deep inside and groped around, and felt the texture of rustling paper. As she tried to take out the paper, something touched the back of her hand.
Marin took out both.
A small folded piece of paper and a black stone split in half.
"Ah."
It was said that this stone, which seemed to be split in half, was what she was holding in her hand when she lost consciousness in the carriage accident.
She didn't want to see anything that reminded her of the carriage accident, so she put the stone deep in the drawer and tried to ignore it.
Marin put the stone back in the drawer and picked up the paper.
The future of the novel was simply written there.
But what's the point of all this?
The female lead is dead. Then this future that she had written down would not happen.
She stared at the last letter written.
Happy ending.
Did The Duke say that a happy ending is good now?
The fingertips holding the paper trembled.
What if she ruined the happy ending that The Duke deserved?
Tears welled up again as fear rushed in.
Tears fell on the word happy ending.
Marin raised her hand and slapped her cheeks.
Get a grip, Marin.
This is not the time to be crying so weakly.
Just make The Duke see. And let's think about the next thing then. Slowly, step by step.
Marin tore the paper she was holding at once. And threw it in the trash can.
Let's not dwell on a future that will no longer happen.
Let's move forward.
\ \ \
The next day.
Marin steeled her heart and opened the door and went out. Elmis was in front of the door.
"Is there anything you need me to do?"
"No. I'm just going to see Olive for a moment."
"I understand."
"Yeah. Elmis, you can rest too."
"Yes. Have a good day."
Elmis didn't provide special close protection within the Duke's Castle. Because her range of activity was so obvious.
Marin went straight to Olive's office.
She needed to ask the new herbalist if she knew about Mandelesong.
Knock knock.
Olive's voice was heard after knocking.
"Come in."
"Olive, I have something to say... Leia Rozin, Young Lady."
Olive was drinking tea with Leia.
"We meet again."
Leia greeted her with a happy look.
"Ah- I wanted to see Young Lady Rozin anyway. Oh, I'm Marin Schwentz."
"Yes. I heard from Olive. That you are The Duke's fiancée."
"Yes......"
Marin nodded with an awkward smile.
"Miss, you said you had something to say?"
"Ah, not to Olive, but to Young Lady Rozin."
"I see. Then I'll leave you alone."
The quick-witted Olive got up from her seat and gave up her seat.
"I'm sorry."
"No. Please talk comfortably."
As Olive closed the door and left, Marin took the seat where he had been sitting.
"I was very rude yesterday. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I was about to cry too when I saw you crying for Modriana. She was a really good friend."
Leia smiled sadly as if recalling Modriana.
As she said, the female lead must have been a good person.
Marin put strength in her back and stared straight at Leia, who was sitting in front of her, with trembling eyes.
Her heart ached with the guilt that washed over her like a wave, and her fingertips turned cold.
The selfishness of wanting to ignore the sadness of the person sitting in front of her, saying that the death was just a product of coincidence and not her fault, raised its head.
But Marin erased that selfishness and faced Leia steadfastly with a heart of mourning for the female lead.
Let's not ignore the consequences of her actions.
It was something she had to endure and accept herself.
She couldn't be the female lead, but healing The Duke's eyes, which Modriana wanted most in the novel, was something she also wanted.
She would mourn the death of the female lead and solve the work she wanted with her own hands.
Marin made a strong decision in her heart.
